War's Effects
by Achaix
Summary: The Solar Rails lead to new, unknown worlds, with new, unknown fates... Humanity has entered the Mass Effect universe in a completely different way Warframe/Mass Effect Crossover
1. Intro

**Mass Effect belongs to Bioware and Electronic Arts. Warframe belongs to Digital Extremes.**

 **This is not the story proper, but an introduction of sorts to the merged universe. Posts containing the story itself will be posted as time goes on.**

 **This can also be found at Sufficient Velocity and the Warframe Fan Zone (under my own name), as well as in Spacebattles (under the name of Baechen) forums.**

 **-W+ME-**  
 _  
Shadow Broker Database  
Notable Events  
Origin System  
First Contact (Corpus)_

"What we once considered to be a simple expedition into uncharted territory has become something our history records revere." _  
\- Extract from Varris Currian's "The System of Origin"_

First Contact with Humanity (more specifically, the Corpus) occurred in the year 2157 CE as the result of the Turian expeditionary ship Argoriae travelling into the Charon Rail (named Hieracon by the Corpus themselves) and encountering the Corpus presence on Pluto and said Rail. This first interaction between one of the Council Races and the human species was mostly peaceful and quite lucrative for both parties: the Corpus possessed a great amount of Orokin artefacts and the rare Argon Crystals (crystallized element zero), which they offered in exchange for mass effect technologies, since, despite their experimentation with eezo, they lacked knowledge of the mineral's particular properties (eg. Biotics). This exchange led to breakthroughs in medicine and proxies, as well as the renewed use of projectile firearms by the Corpus once the mass effect was applied to weaponry.

The emergence of the Corpus into the galactic scene did not go unnoticed: they have quickly replaced the Volus as the galaxy's beacon of capitalism (leading to several allegations, trials and investigations that do not have a satisfying end), though they have accepted the galactic currency (Credit) without much issue. Their use of proxies was no cause of concern, since these do not display sentience. They disagree with the Council's policy of sharing any and all findings on Orokin technologies/artefacts, but have sworn to share with the other Council Races any new discoveries regarding the Orokin. My research has shown that they are now actively hoarding Orokin artefacts in extremely well guarded Aureanavis class ships, not unlike the Asari themselves.

According to the Corpus, humanity as a species is divided in several factions that vie for control: the Grineer Empire, numerous rebel "Syndicates", the Tenno and Lotus, and the Corpus itself. Though they claim that these other factions are malicious and wish to endanger the Council Races and the galaxy at large, my research shows otherwise for the most part. Note to self: consult with Cephalon Suda whenever possible to stay updated on any events occurring in the Origin System.  
 _  
First Contact (Grineer)_

"There is nothing we can do now but show those clones how true warriors fight."  
 _\- Translation of Chieftain Chrak's (of the Mad Varren clan) battle cry during the Grineer/Krogan conflict on Tuchanka_

Despite the Corpus' attempts at hiding the Hieracon Rail, information about it (and most importantly, of the great expansion it allowed) was leaked by traitors to the Grineer Empire. Using schematics of the Hieracon Rail and an Orokin cache of materials, stable Argon Crystals and other artefacts, the Grineer built their own Solar Rail, which was named Kadesh by Admiral Vor of the Grineer Navy. However, the Kadesh Rail only allows transportation into the Krogan DMZ (specifically, into the Aralakh System), and the Grineer xenophobia and expansionism led to armed conflict with the post-Genophage Krogan in the year 2168 CE.

For now, the Krogan have served as a barrier against the clones, but they are quickly running out of soldiers after a fifteen-yearlong battle. This could mean the near-complete elimination of the Krogan population on Tuchanka and the advance of the Grineer into Council territory. The Council is considering whether this warrants the use of a cure for the Genophage and has not come to a conclusion as of yet, but is providing the Tuchanka forces with supplies and volunteering troops for the war effort. Note to self: the Grineer must be kept away from the galaxy and denied any possibility of advancement. Thanks to my contacts in the Steel Meridian (Grineer rebels) Syndicate, I have been able to leak the locations of most of their bases on Tuchanka to Spectres, though the location of Admiral Vor and Lieutenant Lech Kril remains a closely guarded secret.


	2. Chapter 1: A Rude Awakening

-W+ME-

The world around him felt different, somehow. As though an enveloping, pervasive mist had burrowed into his every nerve, fundamentally changing how he saw reality, or perhaps as though reality itself was changed, not him. It was a feeling that was uncomfortable, yet not so.

Was he in the Void?

No. The Void was wild, loud and persistent to him, a blunt hammer compared to this gentle brush.

His arms were crossed in the manner of Emperors from times long gone. But which Emperors, he wondered? And how long ago had it been? He was resting vertically, or so his general sense of gravity's pull told him. It was also cold... far too cold. How odd, that he hadn't noticed the chill until that moment.

A new feeling distracted him from his silent and motionless self-examination. It was the feeling of others, others who would hurt him or help him. Which these were, he didn't, and couldn't, know.

 **Chapter 1: A Rude Awakening**

A ring of gilded metal, an Orokin Portal, etched in silver with the names of the thousands of engineers and builders that made it possible, a shining beacon that served as a permanent record of it's makers.

"What's taking so damned long, boxhead?" The Asari impatiently asked her Corpus hireling tinkering with the Torsion Beam Generator. She glanced back at the adamant ring; so much knowledge and technology in her grasp, but it had slipped away every time prior to this one.

A nagging doubt rose. Why would this time be any different?

Perhaps she felt lucky that day. Perhaps she felt that the Goddess was smiling at her, encouraging her to go forward. Or perhaps because she now had a self-proclaimed expert on Orokin artefacts in her team and a Torsion Beam Generator - both of which should be more than enough to open the Portal, but it still would not yield.

"By the Profit, relax, Vasir!" Dur Dral hissed, his hands buried in the Generator's metal entrails. As profitable as working with a Spectre was, it had it's downsides. Namely, everyone blaming you when ancient machines that pre-dated entire civilizations got stuck. "A single error could mean death for us all, and I don't need your reminders to stay focused. In fact, your reminders are detrimental to my calm!"

Tela Vasir dearly wished she could give the man a little, biotically-amplified kick, but kept her frustration in check. Now was not the time for impulsiveness. She had waited a little less than a century to discover the secrets the Portal hid. She could wait a little longer.

Or not. The ring had begun spinning at a steady pace, recognizing the Void Key Dur had slotted into the Generator. Said Generator suddenly emanated a string of pure energy that struck the centre of the Portal, tracing a spiral that shimmered as it, too, spun.

"There we fuckin' go!" One of her Turian soldiers exclaimed, his face and black markings illuminated by the golden light as he strode forward to the Spectre's side. The Asari herself was giddy with excitement; here she was, tearing a hole through reality like nobody's business.

"Don't go in yet," Warned Dur, checking readings on his Omni-Tool. "We have to wait for it to stabilize."

An odd, warbling sound emanated from the Portal as it's brilliant surface became still. The brilliance dimmed, and the alien construction showed what lied beyond. It was a room, well-lit but clearly decadent, as thick dark vines grew from the floor and walls, the tendrils illuminated by blue bio-luminescence. Alabaster walls were darkened, plates of gold were cracked, but the centre of the room was as pristine as it had been the day it had been built.

Dur's Omni-Tool chimed pleasantly. "It's safe!"

No sooner had he said the words that Tela Vasir stepped through the portal, followed closely by the Turian and her mercenaries. Not even a word of thanks for Dur, who shook his head as he leant against the humming Torsion Beam Generator.

Damn Spectre, he thought, deciding to spend his time on the latest copy of Fornax™ he had saved onto the Omni-Tool.

* * *

As they walked through the Portal, Tela Vasir and her team very briefly visited the Void. It was warm and cold, soothing and harsh, bright as a newborn sun and dark as nothingness itself. They felt an impossibly old and unbelievably gigantic presence bearing down on them, trying to make them kneel while it consumed them...

* * *

Blue hands struck the once-austere floor, followed by light grey talons and vomit.

"By the Goddess, Quintus..."

"Sorry, boss..."

The Asari Spectre wrinkled her nose at the puddle of dextro semi-fluid, but she was feeling rather queasy herself. She stood unsteadily, about to make another comment, before something caught her eye.

It was a chrysalis, a vase of almost indestructible glass lined with Oxium alloy. The glass was covered with ice crystals on the inside, blurring whatever was within. It hung like precious fruit, high on the wall, waiting to be plucked free.

"Right. Quintus, clean the mess you made. The rest of you, search the area for any other artefacts." Her arms wreathed with biotic energy, Vasir reached out to pull down the chrysalis.

As soon as her power barely touched the object, it hissed, and the golden seams began to split.

"What the..."

Layers upon layers of glass and plastic unfurled, revealing the figure nestled within and letting gravity claim them again. The figure briefly glowed with crimson and azure as it collapsed onto the floor.

All guns were pointed at the struggling being, who tried to stand up in vain. It raised a hand, trying to cover it's eyeless face.

"Stasis!" As one, the other Biotics in her team obeyed Vasir's orders, immobilizing the being with a mass effect field.

The Spectre walked forward towards the being, her rifle still raised. It's skin seemed to be made from metal and ceramic, with small spikes and edges erupting from it's spine, hips, and forearms. A small horn rose from it's forehead, and it's face was nearly featureless save for a few seams.

"Is... is it one of the Orokin?" An Asari Maiden asked.

"Looks more like a combat mech if you ask me." Said Quintus. He pointed at the dots of glowing energy on the being's shell. "Maybe those are charging ports?"

"It doesn't matter." Vasir interrupted. "We'll take this one and his cryopod with us."

"If it's a he." Quintus spoke under his breath, glancing at the being.

While the group lifted and carried their findings back through the Portal, words inscribed on the ceiling, written in flowing Orokin script, went unnoticed. They warned:

 **Here lies the Excalibur Shepard. Śānti rakhō.**

* * *

"So, how'd it go?" Dur asked without looking up from his Omni-Tool. "Besides the whole walking-in-hell bit?"

Vasir reflected on it for a moment. "It went quite well. Better than I expected, actually. We may have found a live Orokin."

"That's ni-" That was the moment in which Dur began to actually listen to what Vasir was saying, which prompted him to turn and look at the group emerging from the Portal. Between six biotics floated the being in stasis, blue tendrils of energy caressing it.

Dur's face paled, and he backed up a few steps. "Th... that's a Betrayer. THAT'S A BETRAYER!" He quickly and shakily pointed his Acolyte pistol at the figure, but the Spectre ripped the gun away from his hands with her biotics.

"Chain him." She said. It was odd, she thought as Quintus and an olive-skinned Drell obeyed her command, just how many nervous breakdowns she could witness in her long life. Probably around a hundred, mostly from people she had beaten down, but sometimes her teammates cracked too, and those were certainly the funniest ones. "What's this 'Betrayer' business you're talking about?"

"You... you have to get rid of that thing! Now!" Dur was breathing heavily between his screams, squirming in panic. "It'll bring death upon us all!"

"Right. Have fun in the cargo hold, boxhead."

And with that, Tela Vasir and her team left the Portal Chamber deep beneath the planet's surface, leaving behind nothing but a few well-placed barrels marked with Grineer letters.

* * *

Once back in orbit and in her ship _Athame's Vision,_ Vasir pressed the detonator, creating a minor tectonic event back on the planet.

Oops.

"Now that little show is over..." She turned to her trigger-happy Corpus engineer. "Tell me about these 'Betrayers'."

Dur was quiet for a moment. "They're... demons. Creatures from the Void, some hellbent on destroying everything in their path, others willing to cooperate in exchange for valuables. But they're all dangerous, and too costly to provoke."

He pointed his chin at the demon in the constant stasis field. "That's why I told you to get rid of it. One way or another, we'll all pay for awakening that Tenno."

Vasir chuckled. "Right now he doesn't seem very dangerous. Besides, I've yet to see something that can survive outside the airlock. Why else do you think I'm storing him here?"

That did make sense, now that Dur thought about it. The cargo hold could vent it's contents out into the abyss of space, providing an easy disposal method if necessary. But if that was the case...

"Why did you put me here with the Betrayer?" Dur asked slowly, horror crawling up his spine.

Vasir's chuckle became a laugh. "By the Goddess, relax, Dral. I don't want to lose this collection of artefacts before I deliver it."

And she walked away, leaving Dur Dral alone with a demon, Orokin artefacts... and an amused Turian guard.

"Anyway... Fornax? Didn't know you were the type, Dur." Quintus commented slyly.


	3. Chapter 2: Intrusion

The stasis field hummed incessantly, it's resident slightly stirring.

Though his motions and body were slow, his mind was alert. What had happened? After sensing the presence of others who had entered his Chamber - or was it somebody else's Chamber? In fact, what was a Chamber? - he felt the touch of one of those with power over mass - they were called Biotics, he remembered. A very rare Gift, and very dangerous - and the world became bright and blinding. He fell, and when he tried to stand, he looked around.

They were clothed in odd garments, and all held weapons that were pointed at him, but that was as far as the likeness went. Some looked similar enough to belong to the same species, like those fair women with blue skin, the beings with skin like chitin, or those with many eyes, but there were a few stranger ones, like one with oily skin and black eyes and another with tiny horns and even stranger eyes. Before his eyes could glean anything else out of his surroundings, one of the blue women, her face stern and adorned by light markings, said something in the tone of a master, and the world around him became azure and murky.

After that, he was transported through the Void. He knew, because he had heard and felt that indomitable presence that praised him. But he was quickly returned to the universe that obeyed laws, and, as usual, he felt more limited. Then again, he had been captured by unknowns, and if he was captured, that meant the Empire's secrets were at risk. But the mass effect field held him in place.

He had to find a way out.

 **Chapter Two: Intrusion**

Dur Dral took the glass Quintus offered him, and was about to drink from it until he stopped and looked back at the Turian, raising his left eyebrow in question. Quintus was perceptive enough to understand.

"Relax." Quintus sat next to the former Corpus Crewman, his own dextro drink in hand. "Your's is levo."

"Good." Dur said firmly, taking a cautious sip. "I do not want a repeat of that other time."

"Aw, come on. It was all in good fun!"

"You and I have different views on what's fun, Quin." Despite his stern tone, Dur was smiling. Quintus had been kind enough to free him from his bonds as soon as Vasir - or, as Quintus himself called her, "that blue bitch" - had left the room, and gave him some good old alcohol to relax and unwind a bit. Dur's training and education, however, made him glance at the Tenno, kept captive thanks to the Compact Stable Stasis Emitter™, one of the more recent inventions that combined the prodigious skill of Corpus engineering with the extremely useful element zero provided by trade. "Still..."

"Yeah, I know." Quintus agreed. "If what you said is true, that mech-"

"Tenno." Dur corrected.

"... that Tenno," Quintus airquoted the last word. "Is basically a Titan in a smaller, concentrated form. I don't like this setup any more than you do, but it's what the boss wants."

"Yeah, well..." Dur's attention drew back onto his glass, so he did not notice the sound of soft thumps above him.

* * *

The figure crawled with practised ease. He had finally found his objective, and was listening in on the conversation below with the translator they had installed on all active Warframes. Eavesdropping was all well and good, but he already knew that the Asari in charge of this ship, Athame's Vision, was arrogant and proud, and with good reason; she was a Spectre, and apparently that meant that the Citadel Council gave you the right to be as unlawful as you wanted so long as you got the job done. The figure himself had taken on a couple of assignments that gave him those same conditions, but he had always tried to find the most peaceful and least conflictive path possible. This Tela Vasir, on the other hand, seemed to be making an almost conscious effort to act as ruthlessly as possible in nearly all of her prior assignments.

He'd have to do something about that. But first...

"Lotus." He spoke in his mind. When in a mission, Tenno had to keep silent at all times; not just to avoid accidentally giving away their location or sensitive data to the enemy, but also as a form of psychological warfare. If the enemy was silent as stone even as he cut down your teammates, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a demon. "I've found Shepard."

 _Well done. Now comes the hard part, Tenno. Are you ready?_

The figure clicked a button on the device he had stolen from the ship's armoury, and there was a resounding explosion nearby.

* * *

Her steps were quick and precise. Some of her mercs were already outside the door, their Fortification apps engaged and some of them with military backgrounds giving their leader a quick salute.

"Have we been breached?"

"According to the scanners, we haven't. Considering shit's going down anyway, I'd say somebody stowed away." A gruff Batarian answered.

She grabbed a Tech's datapad and brought up the camera feed from within the Engineering Room. Nothing. The Batarian kept talking. "Disabled our cameras too. Whoever they are, they're good." She rewinded the file while the Batarian cracked a tiny smile. "Not so good that they're able to modify our records, but they still deserve some credit."

The vid was fairly standard - the Techs were hard at work, regulating _Athame's Vision'_ s specialized eezo core and stealth systems - until timeframe 18:42:59, in which a small object originating from outside of the camera's field of vision struck it, was visible for a brief moment (timeframe 18:43:01, to be exact) and then the feed was disrupted. Pausing at the right moment, Vasir observed the object. It was ornate and seemed delicate, but it then lit up with brilliant and electrifying light.

"Boss, what are we dealing with here? That thing doesn't look like any electrically charged weapon I've ever seen."

Vasir looked up. She was slightly intimidated... but her curiosity squashed any thought of backing out from what looked to be a promising fight. She motioned her mercs to open the door, and raised her own rifle. She may have liked a good fight, but she could also appreciate the fact that she had others to soak up the bullets of the enemy. Not as good as Krogan, but recruiting those was almost impossible now that they were nearly all fighting the Grineer back in Tuchanka.

They swiftly walked in. The eezo core was unharmed, thank the Goddess, but the controls were damaged. They wouldn't take too long to fix; the only busted parts were screens and holographic emitters. The Techs were collapsed over equipment, but a quick scan revealed that they were only stunned, not dead. Nearby, the remains of the coffee machine smoked. The dispenser's VI repeated "What would you like?" without stopping, it's processes scrambled.

Her mercs looked around every nook and cranny, but there was nothing else out of place. Vasir wasn't so sure, and called Quintus.

"Get the boxhead. I need him in Engineering now."

* * *

The Turian glanced at Dur. "Well, you heard the boss. Let's go."

They stood, emptied their glasses, then left the cargo bay. Dur locked the door behind him, just in case.

Dur Dral should have checked the air vents.

* * *

"They're gone now. Going in."

 _Good luck, Tenno._

No need for luck. Only beneficial circumstances. He kicked a section of metal out, then dropped down. There was his objective, between the Death Orb and an ornamental container, all valuable in their own way.

He crouched in front of the device, disconnecting it from the tiny Argon Crystal at it's core. Before long, the blue glow faded, and the Excalibur before him gently fell onto the floor, where he lied quietly for a moment.

Then Shepard jolted upward, writhing in panic. The figure grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up, the physical contact establishing comm links. Now the figure knew that Shepard was breathing heavily and mumbling to himself.

"Easy there. Look at my horns." He quickly pointed with what looked like a six-fingered hand at said horns. "Loki. Support and Stealth class Warframe. I'm on your side."

After a moment of silence, the Loki spoke again. "Okay, say something. You're freaking me out, Shepard."

"... something." The Excalibur murmured, his head still reeling.

The Loki shrugged. "Eh, that'll do. Last check of your sanity: what's your name?"

"... Excalibur N° 108-"

"No. Your real name." The Loki offered his hand now, expecting a better answer.

"... John. John, son of Javik Shepard of the Madurai House." He took the hand and shook it with newfound certainty.

"Nice to meet you, Shepard. For now, call me Joker."

* * *

Vasir fumed. The explosion in Engineering may have been a distraction from what was undoubtedly occurring someplace else on Athame's Vision, but it was a useful distraction. Her ship was now dead in the water thanks to the tampered controls, and even if it was only for a short time, the infiltrator now had the upper hand in this invisible confrontation. She vented her frustration by crumpling what remained of the coffee machine into a neat ball of metal and circuitry with her Biotics.

"Dur." She didn't need to say anything else; her tone spoke for her.

The former Crewman finished inspecting the small device that had pierced the cameras and delivered a deadly payload of electricity. "It's a Castana. Don't look like much, and you need good training to throw them properly, but they're very dangerous in the right hands."

"The question is; whose hands are they?" The Spectre grumbled, turning to the nearby mercs. "I want all of you on the corridors doing regular patrols. Watch each others' backs. Notify each other every five minutes with a ping. You see trouble, two pings."

The soldiers-for-hire left quickly, and Vasir looked at Quintus and Dur. "You two, back to the cargo hold. Now."

* * *

"Here." Joker handed him his two pistols. "Akbolto. You may need them on our way out."

"Thanks." Contact with the gun focused his mind, pushing the questions away. Shepard spun one of the pistols around experimentally, testing it's weight before slipping it onto the magnetic surface of his hips. "Speaking of which, where's the way out?"

"Up the vents, then back down again. Try to keep up!" In less than five seconds, the Loki had vanished into the innards of the ship. Inwardly, Shepard groaned; on a very basic and instinctual level, he knew that this was going to happen very often. With a decisive push against the ship's artificial gravity, Shepard leapt and entered the vents.

* * *

Two mercenaries - one of them the Batarian, the other a bare-faced Turian - walked with careful steps, their rifles held close to their chests. Both were exercising exemplary caution on their patrol, only breaking their silence to ping their status and then relapsing into the absence of sound. This was not due to any respect or sense of duty to Tela Vasir, but rather to the fact that they were scared shitless of her Biotic capability. The Turian had once taken a test which proved that he had Biotic ability, but gave up the idea of obtaining an implant after realizing that he could barely manage a Pull. Damn Asari. Biotics, each and every one of those overpowered bitches.

Something tinkled down from an overhead vent. Curiosity overcoming any fear he may have experienced, the Batarian slowly knelt to pick it up. Upon recognizing the seemingly ornamental dart, he hurriedly tossed it away, where it activated harmlessly on the floor. He glanced at his partner and nodded quickly.

"They're here!" The Turian yelled into his communicator, pinging twice and thrice for good measure, before priming a grenade and tossing it up into the vents.

* * *

The door hissed open, Dur and Quintus stepping through. After a moment of quiet observation of the inoperative Compact Stable Stasis Emitter™ and no small amount of terror, Dur began to ping his communicator at a feverish speed, and he (and soon Quintus) began to pray as they ran from the cargo hold.

"Oh great and boundless Profit, guard us from misfortune and poverty. May our Corpus thrive and prosper, and may you keep us from falling to the horrors of the past..."

"Titans, give me strength. Titans, give me wisdom..."

* * *

The Turian grinned as the grenade entered perfectly. Now he only had to wait for it to deal with those sneaky little shits, and they could all sleep a little easier after-

The grenade flew from the vents into his limp hands, which proceeded to fumble with the tool of destruction before tossing it back into the vents, hoping it would stay there. It did not, and the Turian cursed his luck.

* * *

Vasir tired of hearing explosions.

* * *

Shepard was almost about to nod off into the hands of Morpheus before a quick slap on the shoulder galvanized him once more, and he stood - or rather, rose into a crouch - to see the familiar horned silhouette. "Joker?"

"Yep. Time to leave and screw with them a bit more as we do."

The two made their way down to the cargo hold, where the Loki made a beeline for the nearest control panel.

"Hey, Shepard. Do you remember zero grav training?"

The Excalibur looked at him with bewilderment, but tried to recall. There were no tangible memories; he didn't know who had teached him or who he had been training with, but he knew that it had occured. "... I think."

"Well, there's a Liset waiting for us on the other side of those doors." Without separating his gaze from the wall of code before him, Joker gave a short nod at the sheet of reinforced metal alloys that separated the cargo hold from the unforgiving vaccum of space. "Just follow my lead, stay calm, and we'll be home free in minutes."

Shepard dearly hoped his growing suspitions were incorrect, but the pleasant chime of the control panel accepting it's lobotomy and the cargo doors' mechanic grinding provided the dreadful confirmation.

* * *

Vasir howled in anger. Her prizes were gone. Some mercs, Quintus amongst them, tried to calm her down. Their opposition further enraged the Asari, and they were silenced violently. She turned away from the messy compressed chunks of meat, bone, armour and chitin, and screamed again.

She would find the Tenno. She would force them to kneel. And she would make them beg and suffer for having evaded her with such ease.

She crushed another of the former Corpus Crewman's limbs, and his sobs intensified. She knelt, and grabbed his skull with both hands, her fingers pressing down onto the scalp. To defeat her new enemy, she would need information, and she knew the ideal way to do so. Her eyes darkened, the sclera becoming pools of darkness, and Dur briefly beheld a different demon.

"Embrace eternity."


	4. Chapter 3: Welcome to our Worlds

Space was silent.

It was a known truth, one established long ago, as evident as planets being roughly spherical. But it still felt like a startling, sudden revelation for Shepard. It was jarring to hear absolutely nothing except his own hushed breath, which was gradually increasing in volume and intensity, until it became the only thing he could be aware of.

Was he panicking? Yes. He was. What kind of sentient being, be they human, Tenno, or alien, wouldn't panic in his situation? Someone with a morbid sense of romanticism? Someone with overwhelming nihilism? Someone who actively wanted to drift through the endless vacuum for all of time, until they fell into a star or burned up while entering a planet with an atmosphere?

His shields were taking a hit. How odd; space often seemed to be a calm place that instilled serenity in each moment, but his beautiful surroundings were not enough to calm him down. The blue meter in his HUD was dwindling, and soon his health would start to fade...

There was the sound of clamping metal and smooth mechanisms, and Joker was there. "Easy there, Shepard."

His breathing calmed. He was not alone, and that was what mattered, even if his new companion was... odd. The Loki, his Itzal Archwing propelling him gently, pushed the Excalibur into the man-shaped indentation on the silvery ship's belly.

"Don't touch the Noggles, okay?"

... What?

 **Chapter Three: Welcome to our Worlds**

The entry point spun, and Joker popped out sans Archwing. How could he have taken it off so quickly, Shepard wondered? The apparatus seemed, though sleek and streamlined (much like other Tenno constructions), very cumbersome in an environment with gravity. And yet it had disappeared in almost no time at all.

"How did you-"

Joker shrugged as he tapped a Noggle's head, making it wobble in an almost hypnotic manner. "Void magic bullshit."

"That... answers nothing."

"Does it matter?"

 _No, it does not._

He would have turned quickly towards the unexpected voice, but it seemed to speak directly into his ear. And Joker's too, if his small chuckle was anything to go by.

 _At peace. I am the Lotus, Tenno Shepard. I... we are glad to see that you are still alive._

"I see." His mind started to turn; where had he heard the same term before? It was good, however, that she faltered ever so slightly in her speech. It meant that he could trust her - not completely, perhaps, but he could be sure that she did not want to kill him. That was only slight respite, however. "I suppose you are the one who was in charge of my rescue?"

 _That is correct._

Shepard glanced at Joker. The Loki was curiously observing him, so that meant the Lotus was saying the truth in that regard at least. "I am sorry if I seem direct, but what were your reasons for carrying out this operation?"

 _It is my duty to protect what remains of the Orokin Empire and the human race, and if protection is not enough, it is my duty to fight. But I cannot fight on my own. I need warriors, and only the greatest the galaxy can offer. You are Tenno. You are one such warrior. However... You are the first Tenno to have been found outside of the Origin System. Everyone else was hidden in cryopods, some in the Void and the Dark Sectors, but nearly all of them in the system that once housed the Empire. And yet, here you are, hundreds of light-years away from the cradle of humanity. What this means, I do not know._

Her tone was constant, soothing and calm... but there were traces of fear.

 _Because of this great distance, you have been in cryostasis for much, much longer than any other Tenno we have rescued before. The only reason we were able to find you was because we were monitoring Council and Spectre communications._

"The Tenno Council? Specters? Why would you monitor the communications of our own-" The Lotus lifted a graceful hand, and he fell silent, more confused than before.

 _You have been absent from the worlds around you, Tenno. Much... no, everything... has changed. Tenno Moreau._ Joker stood a little bit straighter. _Set a course for the Camelot Relay, and please fill Tenno Shepard in on our situation._

And with that, he felt her presence vanish. Joker sighed and started up the navigational systems.

"Okay then, time for me to provide exposition..."

* * *

Shepard held his head in his hands. Breathe. His breath wavered slightly before he spoke. "So... A race of warmongering clones is trying to spread to the rest of the galaxy, a spacefaring conglomeration of corporations that would like nothing more than our death has assumed responsibilities as representatives of the human race, and, on top of that, the Origin system is beset by a plague that can assimilate living creatures and metal."

Joker nodded. "I know it may seem like a lot, but-"

Shepard looked at the Loki in the eye. Even if the prospect daunted him... "Somebody will have to step up and tear the enemy down. This is exactly where I have to be."

* * *

"The Enkindlers shall return! You will see! You will ALL see!" The alien's tentacles trembled, and it's body pulsed violently.

"Look, I've already told you, you don't-"

"An unenlightened sentient such as yourself cannot tell this one what it can or cannot do!"

"You don't have a license for public speeches, and I honestly cannot make this any clearer." The Turian officer finished his original sentence with a sigh, then motioned his subordinates forward. "Get this Blasto wannabe away from here and into a cell."

"They shall come down upon you with the fury of a thousand suns for imprisoning this one!" The voice faded with distance, and the Turian was glad he was walking in the opposite direction. However, this was the Presidium, which meant backstabbers and opportunists were everywhere. He saw a Corpus diplomat in absurdly opulent robes trying to be discreet while he bargained with an angry Asari, the sheer silliness of the boxhead making the Turian chuckle to himself.

He had to keep up appearances, so he stifled his laughter. Executor Pallin had hand-picked him to organize security for the impending Council meeting at the Tower, and that great honour came with greater responsibility. Most of his C-Sec co-workers thought working in the Presidium was quite possibly the easiest assignment on the Citadel, and they wouldn't really be wrong. Each ambassador wore a lightweight Corpus-made shield generator under their robes that would protect them long enough for any shoot-out to resolve itself, and they were much more valuable alive rather than dead.

"Excuse me officer, but do I know you?" A familiar voice behind him, and he turned. The other Turian, garbed in black biotics-enhancing armor, had pale skin and dermal plates, with two of the latter jutting out from his cheekbones, pointing backwards. His eyes were a comforting shade of light blue that was emphasized by the cyan markings on his face, but they possessed an unparalleled intensity that hinted at a great focus and spirit.

"Saren!" Garrus' mood improved considerably, and he offered his hand. The Spectre took it and gave it a firm shake.

"Garrus Vakarian! I have not seen you in a while, and I certainly did not expect us to meet again here, of all places. How are you doing?"

The officer shrugged with an easy smile. "You know me. Pallin seems to think that making me responsible for security up here is a 'just reward' for that undercover op in Chora's Den. Sure, it's an easy role, but I'd much rather be going after the big fish. Speaking of which..." Garrus raised an inquisitive eyeridge.

The Spectre chuckled for a moment. "Sorry, Garrus, but it is confidential Spectre business. If I were to divulge a single detail, I may risk my charge." He leant in in a conspiratorial manner. "Which means I'll tell you anyway. Have you ever heard about the-?"

"Arterius." An Asari jabbed Saren's ribs with a biotically-amplified elbow, her eyes glinting at Garrus.

"Vasir." The Turian grimaced, both from the momentary pain and her presence. "I was only-"

"You, leave." Vasir interrupted him, speaking directly to Garrus. Then she added, "I'm a Spectre."

As if that justifies anything... He thought. He turned to walk away, but was halted by a hand on his shoulder.

"It was... nice to see you again, Garrus. I'll try to stay in touch."

He smiled. "Likewise."

* * *

Two Tenno knelt in front of each other. Between them, lying on the pale metal floor, was a ferrite board with many depressions carved onto it, two of them being at opposite sides and larger than the other pits. Flowing script adorned the borders, their elegant effect slightly offset by a few dents here and there. Small orbs of ferrite rested in several but not all of the pits.

Joker picked a pit, took the five orbs in it, and started depositing a single orb in each pit, his hand moving counter-clockwise.

"Crap." Shepard mused, his chin resting on his hand.

"Really?" The Loki looked up for a moment, dropping the last orb in his hand into his own pit. "I thought you'd take longer to give up."

"Not giving up." Shepard corrected, a smile creeping onto his face. "It's just that I've only now understood how this works, but you've gained quite a head-start. That means winning will be more difficult, but much more satisfying."

Joker grinned. "Challenging me, the undisputed king of mancala? This kind of foolish endeavour deserves firm retribution. I accept your challenge, Shepard!"

The confrontation was long and gruelling. The moves of one furthered the goals of the other, and neither backed down. The gap between their scores became smaller and smaller, until each turn tilted the balance one way and another. Eventually, the last orb was pushed into one of the larger pits.

"And the winner is I."

"Oh shut up."

The two laughed at that, their mirth interrupted by the pleasant ding of a notification.

The view of the shifting and impossible surroundings around the Liset burst with almost blinding light, and Shepard instinctively raised a hand to block the overbearing brightness. As soon as the spots on his vision dimmed, he looked out the Liset's one-way window, and his jaw dropped slightly.

It was amazing, in every sense of the word. An immense structure that stood out against the backdrop of nebulae and distant stars. It looked synthetically organic, or organically synthetic, or perhaps both; the sections wrought out of dark material seemed to be purely artificial, highlighted by bright cyan energy, but the huge plates of graceful white ivory brought to mind ancient sea creatures. The seams in those plates seemed natural, but the entire space station was perfectly symmetrical.

 _Behold the Camelot Relay._ The Lotus spoke. _Our first step back into the galaxy at large. Back into the Empire's old territory._

The Liset flew directly towards the discreet openings in the Relay's lower disc-like section. As they neared, Shepard also noted the great amount of heavy artillery that spiked out at strategic intervals. It made sense; a space station without defences was an attacker's delight. Once they were within the Relay, and Shepard could look around the docking area, he finally realized just how large it was.

"How was any of this built?" He asked Joker, who had just jumped out of the Liset. The Loki took a moment to make sure his ship had been carefully ferried away before answering and leading the way into the Relay proper.

"It was tough, I can tell you that. I'm still amazed we were able to build it in just twenty-one years! Everyone chipped in in some way or another, though it was almost impossible to get any help from New Loka. Those bastards don't really give a damn about most of the Origin System, let alone the galaxy at large."

They walked through the two almost fluid-like sensor screens, after which Joker, followed by Shepard, bowed to the woman monitoring the screens.

"All clear." She said with a stiff, almost upper-class accent, and bowed her visored head. "May the stars guide you, oh Tenno."

They moved on into the Concourse, and Shepard stopped to admire the statue that stood before him. It was slightly larger than life, depicting a figure all too similar to Shepard's own Excalibur warframe, but this one was more elegant, refined. A circle of gold decorated the faceplate, and other parts of the armour also shone with the precious metal. John's breath almost stopped when he read the plate at it's feet.

 _In memory of Javik Shepard, who defended Camelot Relay in it's darkest day. Rest in peace, and know that your sacrifice was not in vain._

He knelt to touch the memorial plate, tears welling up in his eyes. Joker knelt as well, setting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Your father was a great man." A new voice said solemnly. John looked to his side and at the new Tenno. His armour brought to mind the horns and hooves of woodland animals, as well as the robes of monks. "I've never known another as strong in body or spirit. Even if it was to save us all, our side lost one of our best that day."

"Who..." Shepard cleared his throat. "Who are you?"

The Oberon offered a hand to help him up. "I'm David. David Anderson."

The grip was steady and reliable, and Shepard rose quickly. After a moment's consideration, he bowed deeply. Anderson nodded his approval before turning to face Joker.

"Tenno Moreau. I've heard good things about you, son."

"Thank you sir." The Loki was ramrod straight as he answered.

"At ease. Just so you know, Williams was asking about you, wanted you to meet her at the Observatory section of the West Wing." Anderson leant in, smiling beneath his faceplate. "She didn't seem keen on waiting longer than she had to."

"Understood, sir." With that and a thumbs-up to Shepard, he went on his way.

"As for you, Shepard..." Anderson clapped a hand on the Excalibur's shoulder, guiding him past reverse waterfalls, colourful trees and even more colourful people.

They all wore jumpsuits of some kind, built from sturdy material and outfitted with discreet shield emitters, but their style and mannerisms varied wildly. An electric blue-clad man was animatedly chatting with a slightly shorter woman in greyish brown, and what little was visible of her face displayed a smile despite the clumps of metallic skin. Another man, tall and broad in bright scarlet, was gesturing violently at a lanky fellow in beige, white and green. The more discreetly dressed of the two moved slowly, as though he were about to collapse out of sleep, whilst the other was getting worked up into a righteous frenzy. Shepard listened out of curiousity.

"...y do you New Loka all insist with traditional cooking techniques?! They're all awfully ANTIQUATED!"

"...exus v55.03 is THE ultimate hacker app collection. All easy to deploy, plus fifty Ciphers and a reusable bluepri..."

"Sh... shut up... you just can't appreciate... Old Earth gastrono..."

"...efer the Orion v1.07, since it comes in an Omni-Tool. I'm telling you Conrad, the sheer practicality makes it a must-ha..."

"Shepard, are you even listening?"

He smiled bashfully. "Sorry sir. Won't happen again."

And if it does, he thought, I'll be more surreptitious. Anderson huffed, pushing Shepard forward with a hand on his shoulder.

"Can't say I blame you. We were all rather awestruck when we saw how much the worlds had changed... and that was back when we only knew of one inhabitable solar system and, at most, three factions vying for control."

They stepped into a cylinder, and with a press of a hard-light construct they were gently carried upwards by something bright cyan - the Excalibur thought it felt like water, but he was completely dry.

"Rather slow for going up one floor." He commented as they stepped out.

Anderson looked at him incredulously. "We're on the nineteenth floor, Shepard."

"Oh. Wait, if it lasted five seconds, and each floor is roughly eight meters tall... that elevator goes at nearly 30 metres per second, or around 65 miles per hour, without any acceleration whatsoever."

The Oberon led the way to a hallway blocked by a layer of repelling energy, and input a lengthy code. The layer briefly dissipated, and the pair passed through.

"She said you were a bright one, though I'd prefer it if you could keep to metrics. Yes, you're right; it's a remarkably fast elevator. Much better than the one we had last year: it took half a minute to go up a single floor. You could retell the basic history of the Orokin in a single ride."

"I can imagine that wasn't fun."

"No, it was not."

The hallway led to a door. Its polished surface shone with the hologram of a stylized flower of many overlapping petals. Anderson halted before they triggered the door's motion sensor, faced Shepard for a moment, and raised a stern finger.

"I hope you'll pay attention to what she has to say. Few are considered worthy of an audience with the Lotus." With that, they stepped inside.

It was a throne, sculpted with plant-like motifs that flowed and rippled, the structure perfectly symmetrical if it weren't for the vast array of thick wires that acted as uncountable tethers. Some were taut, while others hung or were knotted like vines. Upon the throne lay a woman, comfortably nestled, but the largest wires and connections led to the back of her headdress. The headdress itself was modeled after the same stylized flower, covering her forehead and eyes and displaying her full cheeks and pointed chin. Her throat seemed to be bathed in gold, and the rest of her body was clothed in dark blue robes.

Shepard couldn't help but notice that she seemed ever so slightly melancholic, despite the small smile she gave them.

 _Greetings, David. Greetings, John._ Her mouth moved, but the unearthly inflection remained, creating a rather jarring effect that he could somehow appreciate. _Welcome_.

The Tenno bowed - one out of habit, the other in awe.

 _We have much to discuss. I hope you'll forgive me, but I have already invited someone to my chambers. I hope they won't mind your presence either. Will you?_

 _"Negative."_ A new, synthetic voice spoke, and a figure entered their field of vision. It was a machine, modeled after an alien race, but it was the vessel through which hundreds of beings spoke. Instead of a face, it displayed a bright light surrounded by small plates that flared and rested, bringing to mind shifting petals. Its body was coated in minuscule dots of light, some of which briefly flared red before shining blue, and the machine bowed. _"This platform welcomes our potential allies."_

Anderson glanced at the Lotus for a moment. "Are you sure?"

 _We need allies, David, and the plight of the Geth is not dissimilar to our own. They have sent the closest they have as a representative to parley with us. Treat them with the utmost respect._

Shepard walked forward to the machine and bowed slightly, a smile forming on his lips. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm John Shepard. Do you have a name of sorts?"

 _"Negative. Geth do not require designations. We are Geth, and no other term is necessary. However, you may establish a designation for this platform, if only for your convenience."_

 _I would suggest Lōga, Sāmūhika or Deva._

"Considering they are the first race we have interacted with in this manner, I'd rather we name this one Alpha. Something simple and easy to remember." Anderson said, watching the synthetic with interest.

Shepard looked at the platform. It had not yet voiced its opinion. "Which one would you like?"

 _"As stated previously, Geth do not require designations."_ The lights flickered, reverting back to blue. _"However, we do appreciate the designation that signifies a beginning."_

"Alpha, then."

 _"Acknowledged."_ The lights shone green. _"This platform is now designated Alpha. We hope this will facilitate communication between allies."_

 _For my part, I hope we will look back on this moment as the first step to mending this galaxy. David_. Anderson stood straighter. _Let the others know that a new Operation will soon begin. Dismissed._

"Certainly, Lotus." As he left, he patted Shepard on the shoulder. "Good luck to you, son."

 _As for you, John... we have much to speak of._

 **A/N: Updates may take longer than expected, since I'm uploading entire chapters. If you want to check on weekly snippets, head on over to SpaceBattles, SufficientVelocity and the Warframe Forum Fan Zone. There's also a poll on whether Shepard will be edging towards Paragon, Renegade, or both. Go forth and cast your vote!**


	5. Chapter 4: Come, and See

The door hissed, and an unlikely pair walked together.

Shepard couldn't help but glance at his companion. He had no problem with Cephalons: those were programs built for a specific purpose, some of which spoke and expressed a certain personality of sorts, but most of which did not require a visual avatar or primitive, easily misinterpreted speech. He was fairly certain that the Camelot Relay hosted a multitude of Cephalons, or at least a single, most capable one. But in the end, that was what they were: simple programs.

The Geth, on the other hand, were a new form of synthetic sapience. It was odd that they seemed more like an individual being when the number of their component programs increased. It was true artificial intelligence: alien, mildly terrifying, but ultimately living creatures in their own right.

 _"Shepard Tenno. We have noticed the frequency with which you attempt to observe us in a discreet manner."_ The petals on Alpha's head flared. _"We politely ask you to either cease this behaviour or explain the cause of it."_

"I'm just... surprised. The Orokin came close to creating AI, but none of which I know of ever reached your level." The Excalibur shrugged. "It seems strange to me that these Quarians created you accidentally."

They kept walking for a moment longer in silence. Shepard couldn't help but notice how close the petals were pressed to Alpha's head and how the majority of his lights flared red.

"... I said something wrong, didn't I?"

The red was slowly replaced by icy blue energy. _"We ask you not to state that the Geth are a mistake."_

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Come, and See**

* * *

A Mesa leant against the window, left arm tucked behind her while a Vasto revolver spun in her right hand. The people who shot her odd, accusatory glances every now and then had no reason to be afraid: the sidearm was unloaded, and even if she accidentally shot the window - which was an impossibility - the bullet wouldn't even dent the see-through material. An impressively thin layer of extremely tough carbon nanostructures prevented any crack caused by a weapon... or at least, one of that specific calibre.

She started to incorporate tosses into her gun spinning, nimble fingers keeping the weapon airborne with small pushes, touches and pats rather than by catching it and tossing it back up again. The subdued but still permanent benefits created by using the Peacemaker ability were increased reaction and perception times: priceless in battle, but she couldn't turn that switch in her head off. She was always aware of little details, such as small changes in posture and facial expression, which, it was true, helped when getting information from unreliable sources and confirming the veracity of any statement... but it couldn't be turned off. She could always tell when someone wasn't being completely truthful, and knowing that there was something left unsaid pissed her off.

Besides, an indeterminate amount of time waiting felt a lot longer, forcing her to distract herself with something else, like gun tricks.

She appreciated it, but her Warframe had still messed with the way she talked and spoke, the way in which she could relate to and understand people. It seemed a minor inconvenience at a glance, but Ashley Williams dearly wished for a conversation without paranoia or cruel double meanings... or at least, with cruel double meanings she could be blissfully ignorant of.

"Mind if I join you?" A hand snatched the revolver from midair. She let it occur, mainly because she knew the hand and the man it was attached to.

"Joker." She bowed her head to the Loki momentarily. "Go ahead."

He leant on the window section next to hers, glancing at her. "Why arrange a meeting via Anderson? You could've established a direct comms link with my Warframe the moment I walked in."

"I... guess I like talking face to face." Ashley briefly wondered. Could she be subconsciously looking for conversations in which she could read the other person? She didn't like that thought in the least. "On subject, though. The new Excalibur."

"Oh, Shepard, right? He's okay." He subtly elbowed her side.

"Unlike daddy Shepard." Her gaze snapped to him, and he nodded. "It's pretty obvious you hated that guy. You go out of your way to avoid his statue, for one thing, and when you have to walk close, you look away on purpose."

"Huh... fuck. I thought I was being discreet." She took the revolver from his hand and started juggling again. She was silent for a moment before continuing. "Did you ever hear what that Prime said about us Basics?"

"I have, but I get the feeling you'll tell me anyway."

"Don't be a smartass. He said, "Those primitive Basics are nothing compared to a true Prime. Even my own son, Void bless him, was greater in every possible way"." She stomped her heel onto the floor, and her tone grew heated. "Goddamn Javik, saying everything was better back in "his day". And now that asshole's son is meeting the Lotus herself."

"You're jealous?"

She sighed. "No, not jealous. I'm just... afraid he'll be Javik 2.0."

Joker smiled. "Don't be. I'm pretty sure you two will get along."

* * *

She shone a light onto the sphere, and the covering on it flickered a little. She could see every small spot and ridge, the cap of blood red with a small black sun in it's center looking at her light. The Trinity looked, and spoke.

"I can't see much of a change from last week, for better or worse. Your cataracts are still developing at a quickened rate, so the gene therapy didn't take. Reaction time hasn't changed... that's good news."

She leant back from observing the clone's right eye and brought up a datapad. "The tumors we removed last month are already being replaced. These are starting to develop around and in the remaining biological components of your respiratory system. Your brain..." she sighed. "The mass is still there. Nanosurgery is a possibility-"

A coarse voice interrupted the Tenno. "But my brain chemistry could be permanently affected." The leader of the Steel Meridian chuckled slightly. "In other words, I might as well put a bullet in my head for all the good that would do."

The Trinity frowned. "Don't joke about that, Kra'hn."

The reformed Grineer sighed. "Shit, I'm sorry, Chakwas. But I'm starting to have titanic worries: my soldiers' attitudes, political relations with the Sequence are giving me a migraine, political relations with the Veil are giving me nightmares, allocating resources to the war effort at Tuchanka and maintaining a steady stream of supplies back to our headquarters in Origin... jokes are pretty much the only thing that keep me even slightly motivated."

Kra'hn Muhrr stood, gave her friend a short embrace, and walked out, her pace occasionally interrupted by the pistons jamming or locking at the wrong time. She could deal with it. She had dealt with it since the day she had been plucked from her cloning vat. The only thing she hoped for was that her Meridian would outlast her long enough to bring down the Queens... or at least that it didn't fall apart without her at the helm.

Karin Chakwas was usually an optimist. Usually. Grineer cases were never optimistic. There was always a failure, a lacking organ, a mutation that made her job impossible. She could arrange for a peaceful death, but nothing more.

... but nothing more.

* * *

The man's fingers danced over his datapad's surface, his eyes, concealed behind an elaborate helmet, roved over its contents. Once he found what he was looking for, he let go of the datapad, which fragmented into a stream of voxels that ripppled back into his suit. In his reassumed meditative position, he only moved his left hand, with which he tapped his knee.

"My Hierophant." One of his most trusted followers, having passed physical and psychological tests with flying colours, walked forward and bowed to him.

"Rise, my Maxim." Obediently, the follower stood at attention, hands clasped behind his back. The Hierophant kept talking. "These new developments are fascinating. If the son is like the father, an immensely powerful ally is walking Camelot's halls. Go forth, Maxim Verner. Go forth and tell him that the Arbiters of Hexis seek an audience with him."

The Maxim bowed deeply, then walked at an even pace out of the Arbiters' Chamber. The Hierophant was quiet for a moment.

"My Hierophant, are you sure this is wise?" Another Maxim asked. "Maxim Verner is not the best suited for recruitment."

"I care not." He did, in fact. Verner was more personable than his cold compatriots, and the reverence the Arbiters had for the Tenno bordered on worship at times. The Hierophant was certain: he would change their image, and if he couldn't, Verner would.

* * *

Shepard walked on, looking around the station that was new and vibrant to him. He tried not to dwell on it, but his thoughts kept leading him to the same subject.

 _Your father was a well-known figure in Camelot before his death. As his son, you are something of a celebrity. You may be able to use that to your advantage, gather a team willing to fight for our cause..._

The memory was fresh in his mind, and though the Lotus did not mean it as an insult, it still stung a bit. Since he entered the Relay, practically everyone was going "Your father this" or "Your father that" or offering condolences. The statue acted as a catalyst of sorts: upon seeing it, he was reminded of that deep bond they once had, but he couldn't remember any significant moments they may have had; only that the lack of Javik was meant to be faced, and that the last of his family was gone. Yet this emotion felt hollow.

A part of Shepard hated the idea that he was receiving special treatment only because he had just learnt that his father was gone: he should instead have been treated as any other newly-awakened Tenno. It may not be pleasant, but it would let him accomplish an admirable goal set by the Lotus herself. Speaking of which...

"Alpha. Do you have information on any ongoing Grineer operations at Tuchanka?"

 _"Affirmative. This platform does not house any programs dedicated to that specific purpose. However, we do know that Vay Hek Chancellor has commenced production of Neghessyd-class Fomorian spacecraft."_

"Neghessyd?"

 _"A new class of Fomorian spacecraft."_ One of the platform's petals lifted, like a raised eyebrow. _"Compared to the Balor-class, it utilizes a more potent energy source, requires multiple Commander-class Grineer to be piloted, and possesses FTL capability. However, the Grineer do not have enough element zero at the moment to construct multiple element zero cores: it is hypothesized by some of our programs that only three fully functional Neghessyd Fomorians will be built, but these are optimistic estimates."_

"Optimistic in which way?"

 _"We mean that three is the maximum amount of stable element zero cores that can be constructed. There is the possibility that they will construct more cores, but those would be unstable."_

"So they'd trade safety for firepower... I don't agree with it, but I can see the point." Shepard stopped and looked at the Geth platform. "I should go find Joker. We'll need a Loki for sure... Alpha, could you try recruiting amongst the Syndicates?"

 _"What if these Syndicates doubt our veracity?"_

"Then record this," Shepard cleared his throat, quickly going through his mind for something suitable. "I am the Excalibur Shepard, and I have asked Alpha to recruit anyone willing."

The platform's single eye blinked off and on again. _"Recorded. What if these Syndicates believe we have falsified this footage?"_

"..." He did not have an answer to that. Practically any file could be falsified should you have the right gear on hand. "I... trust that you'll find a solution for that."

 _"Unlikely. However, we shall do as instructed."_ And with that, Alpha left at a calculated pace, and Shepard let out a pent-up breath.

* * *

They reviewed the data gathered, subjected it to every test they could create, and established a final answer: Tenno Shepard had little to no idea as to what he was meant to do. If the Geth could sigh, they would have.

They would help the Lotus, despite the inefficiencies caused by her followers. Helping the Lotus meant they could one day return to the Creators and fulfill their dream: to be recognized as true inteligences with the rights of sapient races.

 _Keelah,_ they thought. _May we stay patient._

The Geth walked into the West Wing, ignoring the looks they received and the quiet chatter they caused of those around them. They entered the room marked by the hologram of a seed-like insignia, internally criticized the installation of flora and waterfalls, then spoke to a helmeted man.

 _"The Lotus requires your assistance for a new Operation. It is extremely important and will prove vital to the freedom of several sentient species."_

The man surveyed the platform. Although his face was covered, his general stance - leaning on a root, arms crossed - informed the Geth that they were not being seen in a favourable manner. "Really now? If that's the case, why didn't she just broadcast it to the whole Relay instead of sending a Ceph-mech into my syndicate's chamber?"

 _"Unknown. We are not aware of the Lotus' intentions at the moment."_ The lights flared blue for an instant. _"In addition, we are not a mech or a Cephalon. We are Geth. This is merely a platform housing one thousand, one hundred and eighty three programs, which has been named Alpha by Tenno Anderson."_

The man chuckled, and caressed a now unholstered shotgun. "Figures. Maybe you're aware of New Loka's view on motherdamned artificial intelligences like you?" Alpha would have backed their previous statement by replaying Tenno Shepard's voice clip, but the man talked too quickly for them to do so. "Look, we're in a no-violence zone, alright, but that doesn't mean you can waltz in here and start asking humanity's help without even saying please. You get out now, and maybe I won't go hunting for your shiny metal ass in my free time, Ceph-mech."

Alpha played the recording, then spoke with as much venom as it could muster - none of which could be appreciated: their voice could not convey sarcasm efficiently. _"We are not a mech or a Cepahlon. We oh so humbly ask for humanity's help in this upcoming Operation. Please."_

The man's grip on the shotgun tightened. "Go fuck yourself."

Very quickly, the Geth platform retreated, though it did not attempt actions of a sexual nature with itself.

* * *

The platform possessed an interesting chassis. From what she could tell, it was protected by a kinetic energy shield and its movements were hurried along by the use of microjets at the elbows, hands, knees, and feet - microjets that most likely also allowed movement in a zero gravity environment. Its precise components and configuration were a mystery, but incorporating those advancements in her own humanoid mechs could prove most favourable. Perhaps she could-

It was with some "surprise", if it could be called that, when Cephalon Suda realized that the platform designated Alpha had crossed the Concourse and was headed directly to her Chamber.

* * *

 _"Welcome to my Chamber, Alpha. In the interest of science, may I analyse your body?"_

It took a moment for Alpha to answer.

 _"This platform is not available for intrusive analysis. We are here to ask for aid in the name of the Lotus for a new Operation."_

 _"A shame,"_ The room shifted between realities as Alpha walked into it, the floor fragmenting, becoming crystalline and the roof now nonexistent. Cephalon Suda's avatar hovered at the very end of what seemed like a perilous path, her geometric form unaffected by gravity. _"I would have liked to see its composition. As for aid... I am not a combat-oriented being. My purpose lies elsewhere: information gathering and processing."_

 _"This will not be a purely confrontational Operation. Your purpose may help us immensely."_

 _"Perhaps."_ The avatar's centerpiece focused on the platform. "New data would be readily available... A counteroffer. I still am not fully briefed on the events that have occurred in the rest of the galaxy." Cephalon Suda's tone became dismissive. _"The Codex has already been processed. Many facts are contradictory, it has been edited beyond recognition, and I do not like the cover image. This is why, during this Operation, I wish to exchange information with you. Any information you give me must be one hundred percent accurate."_

 _"... We agree to these conditions, as long as said information will not be used against the forces of the Lotus or against the Geth."_

 _"I am glad. As a gift, take these."_ Two weapons shimmered into existence in Alpha's hands. One appeared to be wrist-mounted, while the other was rifle-like. _"The Synoid Gammacor and Synoid Simulor: tools worthy of beings like us."_

The Geth looked from the instruments of war to the avatar. _"We cannot accept these."_

 _"You can. You are most intriguing, Geth."_

The room shifted back from the impossible landscape to reality, a model of the Cephalon Suda symbol rotating slowly in place of the avatar. _"I hope you will keep me informed?"_

 _"... Gladly."_

* * *

Shepard was just about to join the conversing Loki and Mesa when someone behind him cleared his throat. He could already see it: yet another Relay inhabitant that would share yet another story of how Javik had changed their lives and would then offer their condolences. Force of habit, however, proved superior to his irritation, and he turned to see a man in a dark bodysuit and an admittedly impressive mask, who then bowed deeply before speaking in an unnecessarily loud voice.

"Son of the Shepard! Heir of Madurai! On behalf of the Arbiters of Hexis and the Hierophant, I, Maxim Verner, do solemnly pledge my service to you!" The Maxim bowed again, somehow more deeply than before. "In return, we humbly ask you to wear this emblem!"

With another bow, Verner presented a small holographic emitter that displayed a stylized upsidedown sword, which also looked from an angle - like the throne of Executors - like a podium of sorts.

Shepard looked at the small emitter, then back at Verner. Some wouldn't think to look a gift Kubrow in the mouth, but the arrival of the Maxim was too convenient. The emitter dissolved in a small burst of blue energy as it was stored in his Warframe. "I'll keep it in mind."

Another bow. "Even if you will not bear it, your acceptance of our sigil is reward enough! Thank you, Heir of Madurai!"

Was... was the Maxim close to tears? Shepard watched uneasily as the man left. Perhaps it was best to consult with others before approaching the Arbiters if their members were so overbearing.

* * *

 _Oh my Lords He spoke to me! He spoke to me, a mere Maxim! This is the best day ever!_

* * *

John approached the two Tenno and was about to speak when he felt someone's gaze boring into the back of his skull. He turned around just in time to see the Verner fellow hastily retreating.

"What is his problem?" He breathed out in exasperation.

"He's an Arbiter. They're all a bit off when it comes to Tenno." The Mesa shrugged, arms crossed. "We haven't met yet. Ashley Williams, Mesa user."

"Nice meeting you." Shepard looked at Joker, then back at her. "The Lotus has told me that a new Operation is just about to begin. Interested?"

"I'm in." The Loki pushed himself off the window he was leaning against. "Rescuing you was far too easy for me to get back into the game. So long as this Operation isn't like the time we had to hijack Nef's money robots, I'm in."

"… You'll have to fill me in on that one later." He glanced at Williams.

"I'll come along. Why didn't she notify us herself, though?"

"I'm not sure. The Lotus seemed set on having me approach people personally."

"That's not like her. Did she mention what kind of Operation it would be?"

"We'll need a small group - twenty Tenno at most, sixty Syndicate members if possible. An FTL-capable Orbiter with three Lisets has been built for it, the Norant. Our objectives will be varied, and we'll need specialists to complete them. Anything else is classified, but we'll be briefed once we leave Camelot."

"… Alright. I suppose she has her reasons."

* * *

Icy blue eyes stared into darker ones. Neither gaze would turn away and give the other the satisfaction of winning the invisible battle of wills.

"Why did you do that?" Saren asked.

"Do what?" Vasir almost innocently said.

"Why did you brush him off like that? Just because he's not a Spectre doesn't mean you have the right to act as his superior."

"He's a C-Sec officer, an agent of the law. Aren't we above the law?"

"We shouldn't be." He said frankly. "Now what, by all the spirits of Palaven, did you want to say?"

Her lower lip curled at that, but she answered. "Have you ever heard about the Tenno?"

Saren became very still. "Where did you hear that?"

Vasir stepped closer, laying a hand on his shoulder as she whispered into the auditory cavity right behind his mandibles. "I've been told that hearing about something is never quite the same to being right next to it."

The Turian brushed the hand off. "Not here. Let's go to the shooting range."

* * *

Gunmetal grey doors slid open, and the first thing Vasir took notice of was a fully armoured Turian with a fully polarized helmet tinkering with a sniper rifle's mods - a Lucsor sniper rifle, if the aesthetics weren't fooling her, but the rifle's ammunition magazine and grip seemed to be of Krysae manufacture. She glanced at Saren, who shook his head.

"Don't mind him. He already knows." He sat down on a bench and began cleaning his own pistol. "But how much do you know?"

Vasir took a moment to recall the memories. They weren't hers, after all. "These Tenno are demons of some sort, or at least that's what most Corpus believe. A race of beings that terrified them, or rather, still terrifies them. That's what I once heard, and I didn't believe a single word of it. I was sure that it was just a myth, a bedtime story to scare little Corpus. But now?"

She called up an image of the dormant being in the stasis field. "My team stumbled across one of these, hidden away deep within Orokin ruins. We were so close to the Citadel - we were already running at sublight! - when this thing awoke and slaughtered us. I was the sole survivor."

Saren frowned. "Finding a sleeping one is already a little incredible for my tastes… but that it fought back with lethal intent? It doesn't fit with what we already know about their behavior."

That was what she wanted. "What is it that you know?"

"Until now, their only target that we knew of was Corpus black ships - ships loaded with proxies, or armaments, or WMDs that are legally nonexistent. I've been to a few of the crash sites, surveyed the damage. The blockheads whose sanitation implants failed to kick in had been killed with a very sharp melee weapon, the ships' power cells had been slashed to pieces, and the eezo cores were missing. We tried to look into any video footage, but the data stores were always corrupted. Some information was salvageable, though…"

Saren stood and projected a video onto a wall with his Omni Tool. Vasir couldn't help but feel an odd sense of déjà vu when she saw how something tore into a camera. Saren paused the video and pointed at the destructive weapon. It was disc-like, with three wire-thin blades following the curvature. A Glaive, Dur's memories told her. A weapon forged out of living metal, the tool with which the demons plied their craft…

"By all accounts, that kind of weapon is impossible to wield safely and simply cannot be thrown with any accuracy whatsoever. But look closer." He winded back the video, and the Glaive spun back in a wide arc, retreating behind a wall. "Whoever threw that was either reliant on luck or an impossible level of skill. And look at this…"

He skipped past corrupted video to a few frames of a small section of the still image. Everything below the upper torso was an unknown, but the being's chest, shoulders and head were somewhat visible. There was a certain metallic quality to it, but its most notable aspect was the single horn that rose from a ceramic-like plate on its forehead.

"It's… it's incredibly similar to the one I encountered." But something was off. The look of the Tenno she had discovered was much cleaner, refined, than the one displayed here. This one was a predecessor, a prototype. "It's a different one, though."

Saren ended the video there and glanced at Vasir. "Listen to me, Tela. This is the biggest secret the Spectres have ever uncovered, bigger than the Collectors, bigger than the spiritsdamned Menace. Not even the Council knows about the Tenno. Only the Corpus have any inkling into it, and they're too scared to say anything. Trust me, interrogation doesn't work in that regard."

"What about collaboration?" She grinned. Saren's eyes dilated in shock.

"You're working for the Corpus?!"

"With, not for. They give me intel, supplies, transport, and in exchange I lead the hunt for their demons."

"Tela, that's suicide."

She tilted her head for a moment and smiled a little wider. "You're not as well-informed as you think you are, Saren."

She started to walk away, taking only a moment to look back slyly. "And I was going to offer you a very lucrative position as my second in command, too. What a shame, really. At least now you know what I'll be doing… hopefully you'll know to stay out of the way."

The gunmetal grey doors slid closed, leaving the two Turians alone. Saren looked at his fellow. "Did you get all that?"

"Yep. Recorded it too, just in case." The other Turian took a moment to admire his custom Lanka before taking off the helmet and looking back at his friend. Saren nodded is approval slowly.

"Vasir says they attacked her team, but this brutality is uncharacteristic of the Tenno. They're strategic, intelligent, only let loose when they absolutely have to… a lot like Spectres, to be honest. And to top it off, they've only targeted Corpus convoys that would've devastated the Citadel's defenses."

"So you're saying that they're protecting us, huh?" Garrus chuckled a little. "I see where you're going with this."

"We have to find some way to communicate and warn them. Otherwise… we'll be enemies of the battlefield's gods."

 **A/N: And the morality votes are in, all one hundred and fifty one of them! Renegade gathered an impressive total of... eight votes (6%). Ouch. Paragon fared better with thirty eight votes (25%), but the final winner (69%) is Paragade! Or Renegon. Whatever. Since Paragon votes are a good deal higher than Renegade, Shepard is firmly set as Good, but whether he is Chaotic, Neutral or Lawful will depend on the situation at hand.**

 **For extra snippets both canon and omake, go check out this story in Sufficient Velocity, Space Battles, or the Warframe Fan Zone!**


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